This disclosure relates to methods and apparatus for enabling attendees at a meeting to write information in such a manner that it is displayed to all attendees, and later conveniently retained for future reference.
In meetings and conferences, it is common for individuals to write information such as notes, numbers, drawings, etc. on a large surface, such as an erasable drawing board, or a large easel mounted pad, so that it can be seen by all present in the room. However, not all rooms in which meetings occur are equipped with such an erasable board, and it can be inconvenient to have to find and set up such equipment.
Moreover, if it is desired to memorialize information written on an erasable board during the meeting, it is necessary to separately make a hand copy, which is inconvenient and possibly impossible if the information has already been erased from the board. Erasable writing boards are available which incorporate a copier, but they are relatively expensive and not easily transportable.
In lieu of erasable boards, easel-mounted paper pads or flit charts can be used which enable the written-on sheets to be later removed and retained, but that requires that the large pad and easel be accessible and that personnel to be on-hand to transport it and set it up in the meeting room. Oftentimes, the desire to write on such a pad occurs spontaneously during the meeting, and the time necessary to locate and set up an easel (or an erasable board) interrupts the flow of the meeting.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,581 there is disclosed an apparatus comprising a box containing a roll of electrostatic or electret film, which box has attachment devices enabling the box to be mounted on a plate or a wall to enable a sheet of the film to be unwound and mounted on the plate or wall by electrostatic attraction. Notes can be written on the sheet, but there is no convenient way to retain the written-on sheets.
It would be desirable to enable information to be written and displayed during a meeting and thereafter be retained in a way that utilizes apparatus which is readily accessible, relatively inexpensive and convenient to transport, set-up and handle.